Chlorine Leak Shuts Down Water Plant

The chlorine feed facility at the Whitlock Treatment Plant in Pueblo, Colo., was shut down after a chlorine gas leak.

According to The Pueblo Chieftain, the plant was shut down approximately 90 minutes after a mechanical failure caused 1,300 pounds of chlorine to escape.

The delay was used to allow workers to scrub the building and neutralize the chlorine so workers could properly shut the building down.

The Pueblo Board of Water Works informed customers that the city’s water supply would not be affected. Assistant Fire Chief John Zupancic told The Pueblo Chieftain that not a lot of chlorine escaped from the building.

Firefighters feared they would have to evacuate nearby residents, but determined that not enough gas escaped to make that move necessary.

The cause of the mechanical failure is still undetermined.

The leak did not affect the amount of chlorine in the water delivered to the customers.

None of the workers reported injuries, though Alan Hamel, executive director of The Pueblo Board of Water Works reported this was the largest incident he had seen in his 46 years with the board.